Process of producing gasolene.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN WILLIAM 'WAITZ, OF `0113 CITY, PENNSYLVANIA; JUDSON D. TRAX ANDWILLIAM M. PARKER EXECUTORS DI SAID WAITZ, DECEASED. l

PROCESS OF PRODUCING GSOIENE.

Specification. o! Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

Application led July 6, 1912. Serial N0. 708,058.

useful Improvements in Processes of Pro-y ducing Gasolene, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of this invention is, to provide a process whereby thelighter hydrocarbon liquids and vapor-particularly gasolene* may beextracted from the earths strata wherein they are contained, and moreves ecially in the older developed territorles, where the natural gaspressure has become reduced to such an extent that it will not flowspontaneously from wells which have been drilled into the producingstrata, or where the supply of such hydrocarbons has supposedly beenwellnigh exhausted, or docs not exist in sufficiently large quantitiesto pay for operating the wells by any of the methods nou'. employed.

My improved process of producing gasolene consists essentially inpassing air or gas or a mixture of the same, under pressure, (that is,compressed air or gas,) of comparatively low tempera-ture, through astratum in which hydrocarbon fluids are contained, during which passagesaid air or gas, by reason of a rise in temperature, absorbs a certainamount of hydrocarbon vapor and becomes saturated therewith, thenreclaiming or recovering said saturated air or gasy and causing the sameto pass through a condenser Wh'erein said vapor is caused to con-l denseand precipitate, then withdrawing said condensation from said condenser,as the product of this process.

The drawing is a more or less ideal illustration showing a verticalsection through a portion of the earth, pierced by two Wells throughwhich my process is carried out, the equipment in said wells being shownpartly in vertical section and partly in eleva-tion.`

It should be understood, however, that said drawing is illustrativemerely, and does not purport to show the only Way in Which my processmay be reduced to practice; for instance, whatis herein termed a pointof relief is shown as an oil-producing Well,- it need not necessarily besuch, neither need the point of injection be a well,it. may be any othermeans whereby the pressure-Huid may be injected into the producingstrata or brought into contact with the hydro-carbon luld or producingstratum within a well, and said Huid pressure may thereafter beWithdrawn from the same well.

As shown in said drawing, I utilize a well 1, which has. been drilled asa gas or oil well and 1s provlded with a casing 2, equipped with acasing-head 3, of substantially the usual type employed in the equipmentof such-wells. Into said well is inserted a pipe 4, through which air orgas under pressure is conducted to the oil or gas-producing stratum 5.Preferably, the lower end of said pipe rests upon the bottom of the welland 1s perforated as at 6, to cause the escape of the pressure-fluid, inproximity orat the producing stratum. Above said producing stratum, awall-packer is located in the well, for the purpose of confining thepressure within the well, so that it must all pass into said producingstratum. A well equipped as above described, I term a pressure well andthis pressure well is located in a position which is substantiallycentral to a group of producing wells which are to be connected for theapplication of my process. To the casing-head 3 of one or more wells, as7, through which said pressurefluid is to be recovered, I attach thesuction or intake-pipe 8 of an air of gas-compressor 9. Thedischarge-pipe 10 of said compressor is connected to a condenser, whichconsists substantially of a closed shell or cylinder 11, adapted tocontain a refrigerating Huid 12, such as brine, and in which is inclosedor contained a condensation -chamber 13. through which the recoveredvapor is caused to pass. From the bottom of chamber 13, a pipe 14 leadsto the outside of the condenser, and is adapted for the withdrawal ofthe condensed Huid into any suitable receptacle, such as barrel 15. Fromthe condensu ing-chamber, a suitable pipe 16 or conduit is passed to thepressure Well and said pipe may be equipped with the necessary valve,`as 17, to control or regulate the admission of the pressure fluid intosaid pressure well.

The precise form of equipment of the producing well is not material, theonly essential bein that it should be cased in the usual Way wit acasing, such as 2', and rovided with a casing-head 3', which may a so beof the usual form, and to which the intake-pipe ofthe compressor may beconnected for the recovery of the pressure fluid, as above stated. Ifthe well passesthrough a waterbearingl stratum, a well-packer should, ofcourse, be employed inthe usual way and for the usual purpose. Theproducing well may be what is termed a gas well, having a product of gasonly, or it may be, or have been, an oil well. s shown in the drawing,however, said well is equi ped as an oil well, the equipment being mydeep well Huid-displacing device, shown and described in a certainapplication for Letters Patent f the United States, filed by me on the15th day of May, 1911, Serial No. 627,185.

Summary: As will be readily understood from` the foregoingspecification, together with an inspection of the drawings, the processherein set forth is essentially as follows: Either a suitable gas, suchas natural gas, or air, or a mixture of both, is compressed to asuitable pressure; it is then re' frigerated or cooled, preferably to atemperature below that of the oil or gas-producing stratum of the earth,which temperature varies somewhat according to depth, and slightly as tolocality, but in-this art ofthe Pennsylvania field, at the depth o 1000feet, said temperature is approximately 70 F.. The air, after beingcooled, as stated, is then injected into and vcaused to permeate andpass through a certainrarea of such stratum to a point of relief, asindicated by the arrows in the drawing; and in said passage,

the rise of temperature which takes place, together with the aiiinity ofthe pressure fluid for hydro-carbon vapor, causes it to become saturatedwith said vapor; said vapor is then recovered at said point of reliefand again refrlgerated, thuscausing a precipitation of the vaportherein, which vapor is suitably confined and withdrawn as the productof this,process.

I claim:

1. The herein described process of producing gasolene, which consists incompressing a suitable fluid, then refrigeratingthe same, then passingysaid fluid through a stratum of the earth containing hydro-carbonvapor, then recovering said fluid, then causing a precipitation of thevapor therefrom.

2. The herein described process of producing gasolene, which consists incompressing a suitable gas, then cooling the same, then injecting saidgas into a stratum of the earth which contains hydro-carbon fluids andwherein said gas becomes saturated with vapor from such iiuids,pbecauseof a rise in temperature, then recovering said as at a suitable point ofrelief, then causing said vapor to condense.

3. The herein described process of producingl gasolene which consists incompressing a suitable gas, then cooling the same then causing said gasto pass into absor tive relation with a hydro-carbon fluid wit in a wellwhich produces such iuid, whereby said gas becomes saturated with vaporsfrom such iiuid due to a rise of temperature then recovering said gasfrom said well and causing a precipitation of the vapors therein.

, In testimony whereof I aiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN WILLIAM WAITZ.

Witnesses: g

J. D. TRAX,

PEARL PROPER.

